Newsletter

January 2001

Letters to the Editor

Christine Furedy, Stephen Maitzen

Role Models

I read with interest the exchange of letters, reprinted in your September
edition, between Dr. Thomas Brzustowski, president of NSERC, and two critics
of NSERC’s gender-restricted University Faculty Awards. In his reply
to the second critic, Dr. Brzustowski admits something quite damaging to
his case, evidently without realizing how damaging the admission is.
He writes of the “Council’s strong belief that the appointment of first-class
women scientists and engineers will provide excellent role models for future
generations of students of both genders.” But if, as he says, female
scientists can serve as excellent role-models for male students, then surely
male scientists can serve as excellent role-models for female students.
In that case, however, the entire role-model justification for a women-only
UFA program breaks down. Dr. Brzustowski says he hopes that his letter
“clarifies NSERC’s position.” Indeed, it does, and the position looks
pretty shaky once clarified.

Stephen Maitzen

Department of Philosophy, Acadia University

To Coin a Term

‘Affirmative action’ is used less among analysts of university affairs
in the USA nowadays, and the franker term ‘racial preferences’ appears
more often.

Perhaps the term ‘identity preferences’ would be appropriate for the
Canadian context, since the pursuit of designated-group preferences is
an application of ‘identity politics.’

Chris Furedy

Professor Emerita, York University